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South African Food Culture

Saffas long for their heritage and culture and this can be seen clearly with the beloved South African braai which is an essential mainstay of social life across the country. Once you discover the meaty magic of the braai, you’ll never look at the humble barbecue in the same way again. South African’s are so devoted to braai’s that they have given it a national holiday. South Africa is divided by two topics, politics and religion. National braai day or otherwise known as Jan Scannell is a day that sets them two topics aside and brings the country together. Most agree that a real braai can only happen when there is a real wood fire. To braai is considered a social occasion more than simply a way of preparing food. Typical meats that are cooked on a braai consist of lamb chops, various cuts of steak, chicken, pork, ribs, fish and boerwors which is a spicy sausage meat. Another South African food love is the potjie. Potjie is in essence a stew, with a twist. It is traditionally cooked in a round cast iron pot. Just like a braai a potjie is very much part of the social life. The preparing and the making of the potjie is very social and brings communities together. Traditional ingredients of a potjie consist of meat and vegetables such as carrots, cabbage and potatoes. Up in Durban they have a different cuisine which originates from the Indian population. Curries with hot spices are popular up in Durban. Another local Indian Durban speciality is the ‘bunny’ or bunny chow, which consists of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with a hot curry. South African food culture is way more than just food it’s a social occasion, a chance to meet and great new and old friends, share stories and above all a chance to dig in!